Online Business Reviews

Pepys Estate, Deptford: Caretakers get Covid-19

2021-06-29T16:10:00.007-04:00

Residents on a Deptford estate are living in “filthy” blocks, some with cockroaches, while the six caretakers responsible for cleaning have all tested positive for Covid-19.

Members of the Pepys Estate caretaking team are now self-isolating after testing positive, but Lewisham Homes said their shifts have only been “partially covered”.

The council’s building company said there has been an “impact on the cleaning service” as a result.

But residents posted photos of the bins and “stained, dirty corridors” and said it’s been going on for “weeks on end”.

The blocks are “filthy” and haven’t been cleaned properly since the first lockdown, residents say, with caretakers asked only to clean ‘Covid touch points’, places that would be touched a lot like door handles.

There are also ongoing fire safety works with drilling creating a lot of dust.

Before Lewisham Homes took over the estate, it had more than four times the caretakers.

Residents have also raised concerns after spotting some caretakers on the estate who were isolating.

The minimum isolation time after testing positive is ten days and people want clarity on the timescale.

A spokesperson for Lewisham Homes said: “Our caretakers are key workers and we have taken measures to help protect them and residents throughout the pandemic.

“This includes making sure that government advice on self-isolation is followed.

“Recently members of the Pepys Estate caretaking team contracted Covid-19 and others who work with them have been asked to self-isolate as a precaution.

“We arranged for partial cover of these shifts but there has been an impact on the cleaning service we have been able to offer for the past ten days.

“We have made sure that minimum duties (including fire safety checks) have been carried out throughout, and expect to be back to a full service by next week.

“We have been in touch with the Tenants’ and Residents’ Associations to offer a joint inspection with the caretaking area manager.”

Sadiq Khan urged to expand TfL cycle hire to reach net-zero

2021-06-29T16:10:00.005-04:00

The Mayor of London is being urged to investigate the potential of expanding TfL’s cycle hire scheme in a bid to reduce the capital’s carbon emissions.

A new report from Zack Polanski, who was elected as the Green Party’s third member on the London Assembly in May, has called on Sadiq Khan to commission a new analysis of cycling potential in London and to address disparities between boroughs.

In the report, Mr Polanski points out that carbon emissions from vehicles are far higher in outer London boroughs than in central London, where the TfL cycle hire scheme is in place.

Mr Polanski has said that increasing the number of bike journeys and reducing car usage is a “key solution” to meeting net-zero targets, with an Imperial College study demonstrating that walking or cycling instead of driving for just one day a week can reduce a person’s carbon footprint by up to half a tonne.

During one week in March, the most recent data available, there were more than 242,000 journeys made on hire bikes in the central hire zone and the Green Party member has suggested that expanding the hire scheme to areas outside central London could result in fewer car journeys and more than a million more bike journeys made every week.

Mr Polanski said: “The whole of London deserves to breathe cleaner, safer air, not just people living in the centre.

“If we want to make our air cleaner and create accessible routes to greener transport, there has to be a total upheaval of how we encourage and fund increased cycling activity.

“My report demonstrates how one of the key solutions to achieving net-zero will be supporting Londoners to get out of their cars and onto bikes.”

TfL has already announced plans to invest more in its cycle hire scheme over the coming years, including by introducing e-bikes to the scheme and expanding to new locations in London following last month’s announcement that Santander was extending its sponsorship until 2025.

But Mr Polanski has called on the Mayor of London to “act now” if London is to reach the goal of being net-zero by 2030.

As the capital marks London Climate Action Week, Labour’s London Assembly environment spokesperson Leonie Cooper has called for the Government to introduce a new Clean Air Act and devolve more powers to London to help improve air quality.

Ms Cooper has said that London “continues to lead the country” in tackling the climate emergency, but that the capital “needs the right resources from Government” to continue making progress.

During a meeting of the London Assembly last week, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said that Government support for tackling the climate emergency was so far “disappointing” and that future legislation needs “real teeth”.

Recent polling by the Centre for London thinktank has found that the climate emergency is a key issue among Londoners, with almost half of those surveyed saying they regularly worry about the impact that climate change will have on their local area.

The Centre for London is this week hosting its “Countdown to Net Zero London” conference, that will see policy makers, business leaders and campaigners coming together to discuss how the capital can meet its “ambitious” carbon goals.

Balham spoken word artist 'Dialectic Dee' releases EP

2021-06-29T16:10:00.003-04:00

A young spoken word artist and sickle cell advocate is releasing her first EP – Utter Confusion.

Dialectic Dee, a Balham based poet, will be releasing seven debut tracks and one interlude on July 7.

‘Utter Confusion’ expresses the theme of heartbreak through spoken word poetry and trap soul instrumentals.

The 23-year-old has already performed live at the Museum of London, BBC Sounds and Battersea Arts Centre, but is hoping that her new release will establish her name as a spoken word artist.

“Spoken word is growing as an art form here in London, but it’s still not taken seriously enough,” said Dee.

It’s quite an interesting fusion - not many people have explored it as a genre. But the more poets who work with music the more we’re able to enter different spaces.”

🤩Gonna be live on air from 9pm till 10pm this eve on BBC 1XTRA Talks @1Xtra , in conversation with @RichieBrave , covering all things fostering and personal experiences navigating through care. Be sure to tune in🤩 https://t.co/nbfAHcFUjU pic.twitter.com/zlqVOPN2Hk
— Dialectic Dee (@DialecticDee) May 16, 2021

Despite showing an interest in writing and reading at school, it wasn’t until watching slam poets on YouTube and attending live events in London, that Dee began making music herself.

She has now practiced spoken word for seven years, keeping it up throughout her education at BRIT school and Guildhall School of Music & Drama.

But as a Sickle Cell advocate, Dee is honest about the struggles she faced since birth.

“Sometimes it’s hard to be productive and attend to my arts, when my body is in crisis,” the 23-year-old admitted.

“But it’s about pushing forwards. When I finish a bigger project, like an EP, it shows me that it is possible to achieve what I want to do, even though I have a condition that holds me back at times.”

You can hear some of Dee's work by following her on Instagram and Twitter.

LTN: One Lambeth loses High Court case against council

2021-06-29T16:10:00.001-04:00

A disabled woman who brought Lambeth Council to court over its rollout of low traffic neighbourhoods lost her case in the High Court on Monday (June 28).

Like many other councils, Lambeth began implementing LTNs, road closures with the aim of reducing car use and promoting active travel, under Covid-19 emergency measures last year.

The council had plans to install LTNs across the borough before the pandemic.

But their rollout was accelerated after the Government set a time frame that meant local authorities had to get the LTNs in quickly or they wouldn’t be eligible for funding.

While there is support for the LTNs, residents have also pushed back against them. The latter argue the road closures disproportionately affect disabled and elderly people, carers who need to drive for work, and increase traffic on neighbouring roads.

One Lambeth, a community group set up in opposition to the LTNs, brought the court case against the council with the help of crowdfunding – backers have donated more than £35,000 to date.

Sophia Sheakh, a disabled woman who became seriously ill from Covid-19 last year, represented One Lambeth in court.

The 47-year-old, who lives just outside the Railton Road LTN between Herne Hill and Brixton, was in a coma for weeks after contracting the disease.

Despite recovering, she “remains vulnerable” and “still greatly dependant” on her car.

Handing down his judgment, Mr Justice Kerr said the court “takes no part” in the public debate around LTNs and “is wholly neutral” on their merits or otherwise.

He said: “The main focus of the claimant's case is that she and others similarly dependant on travel by car have suffered disproportionately from the introduction of LTNs within Lambeth, because the displacement of traffic from within the LTNs to the roads outside them leads to a build-up of traffic outside them and consequently increased journey times, added stress and loss of quality of life.

“The claimant says Lambeth has overlooked this in the course of developing its thinking and discussing it locally, to the point where decisions to make orders creating the three relevant LTNs were unlawful and the orders should be quashed.

“Lambeth disputes this and maintains that it has complied with all its legal obligations in the course of deciding to make the orders challenged.”

Mr Justice Kerr dismissed all the claims against the council, including that the orders are not experimental, that Lambeth failed in its public sector equality duty, that it broke road traffic law, and that there was an inadequate consultation.

In a statement after the ruling, Lambeth leader Cllr Claire Holland said: “We welcome the judge’s decisive ruling today, dismissing the claims on all counts.

“Lambeth has been clear from the start that we had to act swiftly and urgently in the face of the huge challenges that the coronavirus pandemic posed to our borough, and in particular the immediate risk of it making existing inequalities on our streets and in our neighbourhoods worse.

“The council has set out from the outset that implementing measures to make our streets safer and healthier was fully in line with statutory guidance and national policy objectives.

“We rejected any suggestion that these schemes are discriminatory in any way or were installed illegally.

“We’re glad that the judgement is clear on that, and particularly that considerations of equality were accounted for at the earliest stage of the LTN.

“The judgement also reinforces our approach of continuing to consider those objectives using data collected throughout the experimental period, ensuring that the impacts on those most at-risk remains front and centre of our approach.

“The start of the Covid-19 pandemic saw capacity on public transport reduced by up to 80 per cent to accommodate social distancing.

“With around 60 per cent of households in Lambeth not having access to a car, and with access typically lower for women, Black and disabled residents in particular, we needed to make our streets safer to enable them to walk, cycle, scoot or wheel safely in their local area and access local facilities during the pandemic.

“The council’s response was an emergency transport plan, produced last summer for the benefit of all Lambeth’s residents but primarily focused at tackling the acute inequalities that we envisaged the pandemic would exacerbate in our borough.

“This plan included pavement widening, temporary walking and cycling infrastructure and low traffic neighbourhoods.

“The council is carrying out regular, detailed, open and transparent monitoring of the programme and has already taken on board feedback from local people to make improvements where necessary.

“We will now redouble our efforts to involve all of our communities in a conversation about how we rebalance our streets so that they are more equal, safer and put people first.”

Bookmark children's literacy charity seeks volunteers

2021-06-29T07:12:00.001-04:00

A children's literacy charity is rallying reading volunteers to sign up in Wandsworth.

As the school year draws to a close, Bookmark is urging volunteers to support children with reading in the Autumn term.

The charity is working with a number of schools in Wandsworth to give children one-to-one reading support.

Bookmark helps children aged five to nine who are at risk of falling behind with their reading, and the programmes are delivered online by trained volunteers.

From September, the charity is also returning to face to face volunteer support in some limited areas, including Wandsworth.

“We’re all ready for a holiday, but we know that many children have fallen behind with their reading this year, and will need our support next term,” said Bookmark Chief Executive Kitty Higgins.

“If you sign up now, you can complete your training online and be ready to help a child get the best start to the school year in September.”

Bookmark’s online volunteers work with each child for six weeks, with two 30-minute sessions a week.

A child benefitting from charity provides reading support for children.

The programme works particularly well for those with work or family commitments as reading sessions can be booked to fit in with the volunteer’s schedule, using the Bookmark app.

In the interactive sessions, volunteers will read stories and play games with children to encourage their confidence and enjoyment of reading.

This support could make all the difference to a child like Luke, age 7.

His parents struggled to keep up with home schooling during lockdown and when he returned to school in September he was significantly behind in his reading.

Now, having worked with a Bookmark volunteer, his teachers estimate he has gained well over a year in his reading age, as his teacher said:

“Luke really enjoys reading with his volunteer, I can always hear him chatting away to her. It’s really brought his interest back to reading.

He’s a fidgety boy, and the format; the talking, reading and playing games as well as it being a 30-minute session, really works for him. He has made huge progress, just amazing.” .

Through its online programme, the charity has been able to support more than 1400 children this year, including vulnerable and key worker children in school during lockdown.

To sign up as a Bookmark reading volunteer, visit www.bookmarkreading.org/volunteer

Ride a 1960s locomotive 'Tornado' in Clapham this July

2021-06-29T07:11:00.007-04:00

Railway enthusiasts and trainspotters are in for a treat when the first steam locomotive built in Britain since 1960 thunders through Clapham next month.

One of the world’s most luxurious trains, that was once part of the Orient Express group, called “Tornado,” will be hauled to Bournemouth and back.

The journey will commemorate the inaugural run of the famous Bournemouth Belle Express on July 5, 1931.

It is scheduled to pass through Clapham Junction at 9.01am on the outward journey from Victoria station and then at 9.52pm on the way back to London.

But while a train ticket to the South Coast cost a mere six shillings (or 30p in today’s money) back then, this time passengers will fork out £399.

Inside 1960s train, Tornado

However for that they will be welcomed on board with a glass of champagne and a three-course brunch on the way to Bournemouth.

On the way home, there will be more champagne reception followed by a five-course dinner with wine.

Despite the ticket price, fewer than 50 seats are left on the train which will depart London Victoria at 8.45am on July 5 and then pick up more passengers at Woking at 10.07am.

It took 14 years and around £3million of private donations to build the green-painted locomotive “Tornado” at Darlington.

Tornado stewardess outside train carriage

Northern Belle spokesman Howard Barclay said: “This coupling of Tornado and Northern Belle is a once-in-a-lifetime trip so we do expect it to be a sell-out.

“After all, miss this steam train to Bournemouth and you might have to wait another 90 years for the next one!” For more details see www.northernbelle.co.uk

Inside Out: Portraits of Catford residents past on Town Hall

2021-06-29T07:11:00.005-04:00

Portraits of Catford residents have been pasted on the side of Lewisham Town Hall as part of an international art project.

Inside Out, by acclaimed French artist JR, has seen the capital’s streets transformed with outdoor photographic displays to celebrate UEFA EURO 2020.

Five locations across the city have displayed portraits of Londoners in celebration of the capital’s communities, football and its ability to bring people together.

Councillor Andre Bourne, Cabinet Member for Culture, Jobs and Skills, said: “This project is a great build up to our year as Borough of Culture.

“It offers an opportunity for residents to come forward and be part of a montage of faces, covering all races and gender.

“This initiative is an amazing way to start the build up to our comprehensive programme of activities during our year as Borough of Culture.”

Lewisham is preparing to start as the London Borough of Culture 2022.

JR's project has also seen Granary Square in King’s Cross become home to more than 400 faces, the Bernie Grant Arts Centre in Tottenham 200 faces, and in the Royal Docks 420 on the Royal Victoria Dock wall and surrounding footpath.

A special exhibition of portraits will also take place as part of the Wembley Park Outdoor Gallery and the Outside Art project at Kings Cross.

JR, artist and creator of Inside Out, said: “The Inside Out Project will allow any person in London to express a visual statement with their portrait.

"It's the first photobooth truck activation since a long time, at a beautiful moment of reopening – bringing people together again and building bridges through art."

The Inside Out Project was created a decade ago to share untold stories of people around the world through collaborative action and impact.

Over the past decade, more than 400,000 people across 138 countries have taken part.

South Londoner arrested after £100k graffiti railway damage

2021-06-29T07:11:00.003-04:00

A man from south London has been arrested after over £100,000 in damage to railway property was caused by graffiti.

The 30-year-old has been arrested on suspicion of 46 counts of criminal damage following an investigation by the British Transport Police (BTP).

They say his arrest in Lambeth was in connection to significant graffiti damage on the railway across London and the South East, occurring between September 2020 and June 2021.

The crimes caused around £110,000 worth of damage to railway property, including stations and train depos.

Officers from BTP’s specialist search unit and graffiti team carried out the raids at two addresses on Wednesday 16 June, one in South London and the other located in Kent, as well as searching a vehicle.

The man, also arrested on suspicion of possession of class A and class B drugs, has been released on bail until July pending further investigation.

BTP Chief Inspector, Stuart Middlemas, said: “Investigations like these are paramount to BTP’s mission to tackle graffiti across the network.

“The vandalism goes far beyond just looking unsightly, it has huge financial implications for the rail industry and causes frustrating delays to passengers while trains are taken out of service to be cleaned.

“Not only this, offenders are also putting their lives at risk by trespassing on the railway, which can have life-changing or fatal consequences.

“It will not be tolerated and we will continue to run dedicated operations to target this type of crime.”

The BP say they have a team dedicated to tackling graffiti on the railway, with officers carrying out proactive patrols and specialised operations to target and arrest offenders, including the use of wide-reaching CCTV across the network to identify suspects.

South Londoner arrested after £100k graffiti railway damage

2021-06-29T07:11:00.001-04:00